Sunday, March 28, 2010

"Good Day Sunshine"

"Good Day Sunshine" is a song by The Beatles on the 1966 album Revolver. It was written by Paul McCartney, though like all Beatles songs written by either of them, it is credited as Lennon/McCartney. Leonard Bernstein praised the song for its construction in a 1967 CBS News documentary.

Recording

McCartney and Ringo Starr are the only members of the band to appear on this track instrumentally. John Lennon and George Harrison add harmony vocals during the choruses. George Martin played the solo on the piano. The song was recorded at Abbey Road 8 June 1966, with overdubs added the following day.

Influences and cover version

McCartney said that he was influenced by The Lovin' Spoonful in writing this song, whose bouncy harmonies and upbeat lyrics recall the Spoonful's "good-time music."

Claudine Longet recorded a version in 1967 for her second A&M LP, The Look of Love and also released it as a single. The single peaked at #100 on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart and #36 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart.

Cultural references

* "Good Day Sunshine" was played as the wake-up music on the final day of the "Return to Flight" Discovery Space Shuttle mission in July 2005, as well as the wake-up music on day 4 of Shuttle Flight STS-121.

* The song is also played at Safeco Field, home of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners when the retractable roof is retracted.